Accurate determination of a precise location of an electronic device from a remote location is very difficult. As an example, location of a cell phone or other radio frequency (RF) device can be approximated by triangulation methods based upon a plurality of cell sites that are currently detecting signals from the cell phone. However, the location derived for the cell phone is, at best, only accurate within several hundred meters or more.
As another example, systems are available to determine location of a lost or stolen vehicle. The requesting party, such as an owner of the car, submits a telephone inquiry or the like to a receiving station operated by a service provider. There, an operator or the like at the service provider's receiving station contacts an electronic location device residing in the vehicle. The vehicle electronic location device replies with location information. The operator then can inform the requesting party of the precise location of the vehicle.
However, the requesting party must submit a location query to the service provider. Submitting the location query through a third party service provider introduces an undesirable delay time, and is an inconvenience to the requesting party. Further, the requesting party must make the request using devices and protocol specified by the service provider.